Growing!

Three weeks old, and someone replaced my little fuzzy babies with awkward teenagers.  This is Maggie, a Speckled Sussex.  She really is beautiful!  Look at those giant feet.  I understand the connection to dinosaurs when I see this.

I'm making it a point to hold each bird on a daily basis to make sure they are comfortable with people.  They aren't always fond of being picked up, but they don't peck me, and they do tolerate it.

We are definitely ready for them to go outside.  The coop should be here soon!

Maggie - wishing I would put her down and leave her alone. 

Day 8

Amazing to see how quickly they are changing! Cuteness overload.

Chickens CAN fly!

I went into the "chicken room" this morning to check on the babies. It's part of my new routine: change their water, check their food, and hold each chick for a few minutes.  We are making it a point to hold them for a little while several times during the day, in an effort to get them comfortable with being handled.  Some of them are not too fond of this process, although Sunday evening, several chicks fell asleep in hand.  Very sweet.

Back to this morning - I was very surprised to find only 5 chicks in the brooder box.  Loretta, one of our Easter Eggers, had flown the coop! She was walking around outside of the box.  Fortunately, she is one of the calmer birds, so catching her was easy.   We now have a lid set askew on the box so that it blocks them from flying out, but still allows plenty of ventilation.

I will post pictures soon.  It's been just a week, and each chick has more than doubled in size and grown beautiful wings.  They are even getting their tail feathers.  So cute!

This is the only time naming our pets has been easy.  They are:  Loretta, Prudence, Maggie, Sadie, Martha, and Lucy (aka Princess Yellow).  Can you guess the theme?

Guess what? Chicken Butt!

Apparently chicks can get something called "pasty butt" which is what happens when they have a little constipation and the poo blocks their vent. (Vent is the chicken word for anus.)  I've read many warnings about the danger of pasty butt, so naturally, I've kept a look out.  Sure enough, two of the girls needed attention this morning.

The remedy - hold the chicken's butt under warm running water, and use a paper towel to gently wipe the dry poo away.  Pat dry.  Using a qtip, swab the vent with a little vaseline or olive oil.  This prevents new poo from sticking to her rear end.

I know this is more than you ever wanted to know about chicken butts.  It is certainly more than I ever thought I would know!

Let's hope this is the last we will see of pasty butt!

rapidly changing

Picked up the girls this morning at about 7 a.m. and by 3 this afternoon, we noticed actual feathers forming their wings, replacing the fluff!  You can't see it in these pictures, but the feathers are definitely there.  They are all alert and strong.  So much fun to watch.  (Missing from the pictures - Prudence!)

Loretta

Sadie

Martha

Maggie

Princess Yellow - Lucy

May 3 - the girls arrive!

Day one - baby chicks.

Adorable. What else is there to say?  The yellow one has been very sleepy. She does perk up, so I'm not worried about her. And one of the brown ones seems to be a little more aggressive than the others. Not bad, just a little bossy. Looks like the pecking order is already being established!  Will have to wait and see how this unfolds. 

Gertie, our Newfie-Goldie mix, has very little interest in the little girls.  I think I could leave them alone together and nothing would happen.  Ellie Mae, on the other hand, is very interested.  As a result, the babies are safely locked in a room so the Goldie does not have unsupervised access.